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Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Releases New Conditions for Renewal of Professional Licence

In a memo released byNursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Releases New Conditions for Renewal of Professional Licence

In a memo obtained by Nursingworld Nigeria, the council noted that to promote continuous quality improvement in the delivery of nursing care and to encourage all Nurses and Midwives in Nigeria to participate fully in continuing professional education, it has reviewed the requirements for renewal of professional nursing licences.

The council further directed that with effect from June 30th 2017, every Nurse/Midwife wishing to renew his or her licence shall provide evidence of completion of continuing education programmes equivalent to a minimum of 6.0 Continuing Education Units(CEU).

Please note that:
i. Every Nurse or Midwife is expected to earn a minimum of 6.0 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) which is equivalent to 60 continuing education contact hours within each three-year cycle of licensure.

ii. The CEU can be acquired from any recognized and accredited N&MCN Continuing Professional Development Programmes.

iii. Three (3) units of these CEU i.e. 30 contact hours must mandatorily be from the Council organized MCPDP.

iv. Conference certificates from International Confederation of Nurses (ICN), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and West African College Nigeria (WACN) - AGM/BGM that shows the credit unit earned will be recognized as stated but not more than 3 units.

v. Other recognized Nursing conferences, workshops and seminars by Nursing specialties and sub specialties that are recognized by NMCN will earn a maximum of 2 units.

vi. Foreign based Nurses requesting for renewal of licensing should present the following: - Driver's license or state identity card or visa page
- Evidence of attendance of cumulative 60 contact hours of Continuing Education Programme in their country of residence over a period of 3 years

vii. Registered Nurses and Midwives currently undergoing full time Nursing programme are exempted from MCPDP until completion of their programme.

viii. Fresh graduates of any accredited Nursing programmes are also exempted within one year of graduation. Please ensure that this information is disseminated to all nurses and midwives in the State for maximum compliance.

Please help me to understand that one should go ahead to renew his/her license if already doing a part time degree program in nursing and not only full time. That it will not be necessary to do an MCPDP. Clear cut information should be given because i have read in two places. the first one says all those undergoing degree (full/part time). At another place, it was said those undergoing degree.
Anticipating your prompt response. Thanks.

Please help me to understand that one should go ahead to renew his/her license if already doing a part time degree program in nursing and not only full time. That it will not be necessary to do an MCPDP. Clear cut information should be given because i have read in two places. the first one says all those undergoing degree (full/part time). At another place, it was said those undergoing degree.
Anticipating your prompt response. Thanks.

All part time distant learning and NOUN student are excluded. They are all to DO MCPDP. I read the memo at NOUN office some months ago.

PART TIME NURSING AND LICENCE RENEWAL, a case of intra professional discrimination: A case study of LAUTECH Nursing

It got to my notice that Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) is not more accepting letters of authorization from students undergoing part time nursing training, given them by their schools to renew licence in place of the MCPDP certificate.
This is contrary to what used to be the norm. At least few people have benefitted from the previous practice where letters were accepted to replace MCPDP certificate for those undergoing BNSc part time training.

But has anyone ever cared to ask why?
I think it's very essential we inquire the reasons behind that change in policy. To me, it's nothing but intra-professional discrimination!

Yes I call it discrimination until a justifiable reason is given for revoking and withdrawing such opportunity, not considering the large number of nurses undergoing this training.

I am not unaware of the roles of NMCN.

Below are questions I and many others in my shoes, need answers to, before I can reason along with NMCN.

1. Is MCPDP, which is a 5-day program in a year, much richer than the at least 3months of vigorous study embarked upon by the part time nurse?

2. Have they observed some things that made them withdraw such benefit for part time students?

3. I hope it's not another case of "auto destruction " that has been the case with nursing where some people think nobody should benefit what they have not?

4. Is nursing council thinking of the financial deficit that would ensue from such policy?

5. May be some people are asking "what are they doing in part time to deserve such opportunity or benefit?".

If any of these points happens to be the reason for change in policy in this regard, then it's appallingly!!! And I make bold to say we still have a long way to go in Nursing profession.
What that would mean is that, NMCN has reckoned with a program that offers 'nothing' to the nurses.
By implication, it's an insult to the council. It's my firm belief that this is not the reason.

MCPDP is five days training and is once in a year. Part time nursing is not less than at least three months in year.
If 5days training certificate is enough to qualify me for license renewal, how come three months of training is considered insufficient?

If there's nothing to MCPDP more than updating one's knowledge, it's my humble opinion that three months lectures/training and practicals embarked upon by the part time nurses is more than enough to qualify them for licence renewal without necessarily attending MCPDP
Hence, letters from accredited training institutions should be used as it was the practice before now.